My Lords, it certainly seems extraordinary that there is no policy for legislation determining whether to disclose the identity of a victim of serious sexual crime to the alleged stranger perpetrator. It seems to me that, while nothing is gained by disclosure in the police station, it could be very damaging to the victim. It is relatively easy, in today’s society, for anybody with access to the internet to trace and find the whereabouts of any person, just by having their name.
8.45 pm
The Metropolitan Police were quoted in the Guardian on 28 October confirming this questionable practice. Neil Smith, from the sexual offences exploitation and child abuse command, was quoted as saying,
“There is no specific policy or legislation which covers the issue of providing the name of a victim of rape to the suspect”.
He added,
“Instead, it is an operational decision taken by the officer in the case on a case-by-case basis”.
We know from Rape Crisis that at least one in 10 serious sexual offences and rapes is committed by a stranger. That equates to at least 9,000 stranger attacks each year, and means that 9,000 victims are being put at risk if their names are disclosed. I am aware that research undertaken by one brave victim of this crime, who asked each London borough what its policy was on anonymity and disclosure, found that, as has been mentioned already, it was completely inconsistent from borough to borough.
One victim said,
“as soon as he had my surname, he messaged me on Facebook. Nothing has ever been so shocking as seeing his picture come up with a message on there”.
Another victim said,
“my perpetrator was arrested a couple of days after the event and was given my full name. At that point, I had no idea who he was. The fact that he knows my full name and details is something I have always hated and part of what makes me regret ever going to the Police”.
A third victim said,
“the man who attacked me seven years ago has been in prison but is now coming up for Parole and it became clear that there was no comprehension by the authorities that I was concerned about him knowing my name. This left me in an impossible position where I had to choose between making my voice heard about this extremely dangerous sexual criminal or risk him having more details about me”.
That cannot be right. That is why I am supporting the amendment. We are putting these victims at terrible risk of further harm and stress, often months after the crime is committed. We know that some women have taken the drastic measure of changing their name, moving house and taking their name off the electoral register, to try to keep safe. If the amendment became law, a police officer would not disclose the identity of a victim where the perpetrator is a stranger, which would protect these victims.